I started re-curing my rock for a longer period of time

[Anonymous]

I put about 3/4 of my rock in a rubber maid container last weekend to fight hair algae and to bust my pod population. I only have a 20gal tank and friends took all fish and stars. I have a mushroom rock and feather duster left in the tank. I will take 10 gal out of the tank and change 10 gals of the cooking water.

last night I looked in the bin and there was a big reduction in hair algae and some brown gunk that looks like fish poop that maybe something is pushing out of the rock(i hope).

The reason I am doing this is because after a year of not taking care of my tank water changes and skimming did nothing for the algae. When I set up the tank every post I read said no mechanical filter is needed the the live rock would take care of everything. Now I know that when I use a baster or blast the rock I need to hook up a filter to export the stuff. Also I think when I reduced feeding the fish went after the pods so now I will kind of start over and move a lot slower when stocking anything.

Teddy

 

[leftovers]

OK just to clarify a few things:

1. You aren't cooking the rock

2. This is nothing more than denying your rock the light the feeds the algae both benign and nuisance

3. This is nothing more than the old method that was used for some 15-20 years to cure rock. The old toss in large garbage pail for 6-8 weeks then shake vigorously and then add to tank method.

4. This does not do much of anything other than kill off all light requiring animals.

5. If you don't cure the cause killing the symptoms won't do much good.

You cant have too many pods... besides which they wont die off in your garbage pail they will consume all the stuff thats dying. They are extremely resiliant.

 

[Anonymous]

Agreed 100%, the cause is poor maintance. In the future I plan on setting up a filter and plasting the rock more often. And I want more pods I think there numbers got less when I feed the fish less.
I got the term "cooking" from another thread.
I thought the rock might be bound"termfrom another thread"so I figured I would try to make it better. And yes I agree I am kind of starting over.
Thanks
Teddy

 

[Ben1]

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthrea ... g+AND+rock

This is how you cook rock.

 

[Anonymous]

He can "cook" the rock by changing the water every so often, or by not changing the water. Both ways will work.

I broke down a 20L, placed the rock in a container with the tank water, put in a crappy seaclone that barely worked, 2 <100gph ph's, no lights and only topped off. No water changes, no heater.
I had extremely clean rock with coralline and more pods than I knew what to do with in there. Micro stars of all sort had reproduced to almost plague proportions in 3 months. I was just hoping to keep the rock "live" while trying to set up another tank, and got so much more out of it.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks Ben,
I will keep doing what I am doing and let you all now how it works.
Teddy

 

[Anonymous]

Well last night I noticed I have some pods in the tank with my leather and mushrooms. I am doing twice weekly WC on that tank because most of my rock is in the bins "cooking". I plan on changing that water this weekend. There is a lot less hair algae and there is also some"not as much as I thought" gunk in there. But maybe when I shake them more will come out.

Now that I do not have any fish. Do I need to feed my mushroom, leather, and star polops anything like DT's. Every think looks good now but I don't want to hurt anything. Also I am thinking of trying Reef crystals. Now I use IO. What do you think of Reef crystals?

Thanks Teddy

 

[Joew]

NO SUCH THING AS COOKING ROCK!!! All your doing is re-curing it for a longer period of time. Why do people feel the need to come up with catch phrases. If you want to cook your rock put it in a 50qt pot and boil.

JoeW
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[Anonymous]

On a roll this morning Joe? When curing you are allowing the stuff that died off in shipping to decay. When "cooking" as some like to call it, you are allowing the built up detritus and other stuff a chance to decay. In essance the same thing.

 

[leftovers]

On a roll this morning Joe? When curing you are allowing the stuff that died off in shipping to decay. When "cooking" as some like to call it, you are allowing the built up detritus and other stuff a chance to decay. In essance the same thing.

not in essance it the exact same thing. Again this stupid idea has resurfaced. This IS EXACTLY how all rock used to cured. By denying light to the rock you kill off the macro/micro algaes....this was a supposed "benefit" of this method.

Kill off the hair without killing off the cause wont stop if from returning...

 

[Anonymous]

I heard that adding "Plant" like basil or parsley to the pot as well makes the sauce good.
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[Bucktronix]

dude just get a sea hare.

 

[Anonymous]

Why are you guys so against what I am doing?
I stated above why I am doing it. I hope better maintance will prevent it from happening again. and I am not saying its a cure all and everyone should do it I am just sharing what I am doing and the out come. Do you have any comments on Reef crystals?

 

[Anonymous]

Teddy - I just snapped because I am sick of the miracle cures and fads. Very sore subject with me.

I have the hair algae too and I am hoping leaving the tank alone with water chanegs and blasting the LR with a powerhead every other day does it for me.

Let us know your results though.
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[Anonymous]

Rob I am no expert but from what I have read is the you have to catch "filter" all that stuff out and that is where I went wrong.

 

[Anonymous]

Why are you guys so against what I am doing?
I stated above why I am doing it. I hope better maintance will prevent it from happening again. and I am not saying its a cure all and everyone should do it I am just sharing what I am doing and the out come. Do you have any comments on Reef crystals?

I'm not against what you are doing. I cured half of my rock for the last 4 months. It may solve the current problem, but better tank keeping will keep it from happening. This is true for you and me.

I never used reef crystals.

 

[garagebrian]

Teddy,

I don't think anyone was against you "cooking" your live rock, I think they were just against using the term "cooking" instead of "curing" or "recuring". Personally I don't care, but I also know someone personally who saw a thread about "cooking" their rock and they took two pieces of liverock and put it in their oven for 2 hours at 400 degrees!(DO NOT DO THIS!!!!!!!) I can't even imagine the smell and his wife was furious

I think that is why people object to using the term cooking when the whole procedure isn't spelled out. Anyway, I think "recuring" is a great procedure to get rid of a buildup of hair algae and I'm glad you will keep after it better next time. I wish I had heard about this procedure a long time ago as I tossed out two rocks with hair algae and one of them had a fabulous arch! DOH!

B.

 

[Anonymous]

I put about 3/4 of my rock in a rubber maid container last weekend to fight hair algae and to bust my pod population. I only have a 20gal tank and friends took all fish and stars. I have a mushroom rock and feather duster left in the tank. I will take 10 gal out of the tank and change 10 gals of the cooking water.

last night I looked in the bin and there was a big reduction in hair algae and some brown gunk that looks like fish poop that maybe something is pushing out of the rock(i hope).

The reason I am doing this is because after a year of not taking care of my tank water changes and skimming did nothing for the algae. When I set up the tank every post I read said no mechanical filter is needed the the live rock would take care of everything. Now I know that when I use a baster or blast the rock I need to hook up a filter to export the stuff. Also I think when I reduced feeding the fish went after the pods so now I will kind of start over and move a lot slower when stocking anything.

Teddy

Nawww you fell victim to attempting to maintain an algae free system. It really is that simple. Any closed system with a biolod is going to provide nutrients for plant life like algae. If you had simply accepted that then no reason to remove the algae that is maintaining your system. If you had established thriving plant growth you like better than the algae then you could have starved out the algaes you don' t like.

Unless you make those changes, the algae you don't like will return when you add the rocks back to your system.

For reference consider:
http://www.dummies.com/WileyCDA/Dummies ... -2065.html

The primary reason that people find algae to be a problem is associated with the sterility syndrome. Many new aquarists think that a sterile-looking aquarium is a clean and healthy aquarium, so they remove as much of the algae as they can at all times to keep it clean-looking. Well, this belief couldn't be further from the truth. Next time you go snorkeling or diving in the ocean, look closely at the rocks, coral, and sand: You'll see algae literally covering all the exposed surfaces.

Algae are an integral part of the natural coral reef ecosystem. Many species of fish and invertebrates feed exclusively on algae and some important species of algae actually live inside some invertebrates, providing them food. Don't succumb to the sterility syndrome. Get used to seeing algae and promoting algal growth in your aquarium, yet routinely removing some of it to maintain a clear view of your pets and to get rid of excess nutrients.

 

[Anonymous]

BWWWWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH
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[reefer madness1]

Recuring? You should of just cooked it.